When every minute counts

Buried fire hydrants create safety hazards

PRINCETON — Some things are best kept hidden, but a fire hydrant isn’t one of them.

With all the snow this year, a lot of people have had to shovel their driveways and clear sidewalks numerous times — left wondering if this long, brutal winter will ever end.

There are limits to where the snow can and should go, but when it’s mounded around a fire hydrant, it creates a safety hazard.

“People removing snow from their driveways and sidewalks can cause fire hydrants to be hidden from view,” said Princeton Fire Chief Chuck Woolley. “Even city snowplows can cover hydrants. The plow drivers don’t even know it, but someone who lives near it does, and they are the people who will depend on us finding the hydrant and being able to use it quickly in the event of a fire.”

Fire hydrants should have a minimum of 3 feet of clear space around them, he added.